| This is the 1st National Lung Cancer Vigil to be held on November 5, 2009. Here are the facts about lung cancer you may mot know. |
| The face of lung cancer is not what you think: • 50% of new cases are former smokers, many who quit decades ago • another 10 ‐ 15% have never smoked • veterans are at higher risk with a 25% higher mortality rate In 2009 152,000 mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, aunts, uncles and friends will die of lung cancer including about 25,000 who never smoked, roughly 2/3 of which are women. Lung cancer is the highest cause of cancer deaths: • more deaths than breast, prostate, colon, kidney, liver and melanoma cancers combined • one in every three cancer deaths • three times as many men as prostate cancer • twice as many women as breast cancer • more than 430 people every day in the United States • approximately 160,000 Americans annually • lung cancer continues to be woefully under funded, only $1,249/lung cancer death versus $27,480/breast cancer death • only 16% of lung cancer is being diagnosed at its earliest and most curable stage. There is no approved lung cancer screening procedure. • the overall 5‐year survival rate for lung cancer is still only 15% while this has increased to for 89% and 99% for breast cancer and prostate cancer, respectively. Why? Stigma of smoking and small number of survivors/advocates: • Blame the victim mentality similar to AIDs • most new patients die within a year because of late diagnosis • no priority or sense of urgency within federal research agencies NO ONE deserves lung cancer. |